Hi friends! Today, I’m excited to share a fun and adventurous card featuring the Treasure Hunter Kids Stamp Set and coordinating products from Scrappy Boy Stamps. If you’ve ever wanted to create a playful scene with a touch of watercolor magic, this project is for you. I’ve been experimenting more with my Zig Clean Color Real Brush Pens lately, and I love how they give such a soft, painterly effect without a lot of effort. Plus, using the Treasure Hunter Kids Scene Builder Stencil to create a spooky cave backdrop added just the right amount of mystery and excitement to the design.
If you’re someone who loves interactive or layered designs but sometimes feels overwhelmed by all the details, don’t worry—I’ve got some tips to make it easier. Let’s dive into the details!
Watercolor Treasure Hunters Card:
Creating the Watercolor Characters
I started by stamping two of the adorable treasure hunters from the Treasure Hunter Kids Stamp Set onto a piece of Bristol Smooth Cardstock using a light gray ink. This technique helps create a no-line watercolor look, which gives the images a softer, hand-painted feel.
Pro Tip: When working with water-based markers like the Zig Clean Color Real Brush Pens, using Bristol Smooth Cardstock is key. It allows the ink to glide across the surface and blend more smoothly without pilling or warping.
For the coloring, I kept it simple. I applied color where I wanted the shadows to be darkest and then used the Zig Clean Color Real Brush Pen Blender to pull the color out and create soft highlights. I didn’t use many colors—just a few shades to keep the look cohesive and not overly busy. Once everything was dry, I placed the panel back into my MISTI and stamped over the images with Versafine Clair Nocturne Ink. This step really sharpens the details and makes the images pop against the watercolor background.
Building the Background
While the images were drying, I turned my attention to the background. I cut a piece of patterned paper from the Treasure Hunter Kids 6 x 6 Pattern Paper Pack using the next-to-largest die from the Treasure Map Nested Die Set. The aged map design was perfect for setting the scene—it instantly gave the card a weathered, adventurous vibe.
For the focal panel, I cut a piece of Bristol Smooth Cardstock using the next size die down from the same set. To create the aged, sandy look, I ink blended with Tea Dye, Antique Linen, and Brushed Corduroy Distress Inks. Then came the fun part—building the cave scene with the Treasure Hunter Kids Scene Builder Stencil.
I lined up the stencil to create the spooky skeleton face cave opening and lightly ink blended with Black Soot Distress Ink. I kept it light to avoid overpowering the background. For the treasure inside the mouth of the cave, I used Scattered Straw and Fossilized Amber Distress Inks to create a glowing effect. I even added a small eye patch skeleton face to one of the eyes for an extra touch of spookiness—because what’s a treasure hunt without a little mystery?
Pro Tip: When ink blending over stencils, try using a light hand at first—you can always deepen the color later, but it’s harder to lighten it once it’s down.
Assembling the Card
Once everything was dry, I cut out the treasure hunters with the coordinating Treasure Hunter Kids Outline Dies. I attached the colored images to the focal panel using foam tape for dimension. The sentiment “Friends Stick Together” (from the stamp set) fit perfectly at the top, adding a sweet message to balance out the scene.
I adhered the focal panel to the patterned paper panel with 1mm foam tape for a little extra lift and then mounted everything to a top-folding A2 card base. For the inside of the card, I used a leftover strip of patterned paper and layered it onto a piece of white cardstock cut with the next-to-largest die from the Treasure Maps Nested Die Set. This little detail ties everything together and gives the card a finished look inside and out.
Finishing Touches
No card is complete without a little extra sparkle! I added white gel pen details to highlight the images and give them more dimension. A few touches of gold gel pen on the gold coin one of the kids is holding added just the right amount of shimmer. Finally, I used Stardust Stickles sparingly on the treasure to make it look like it was really glowing.
Pro Tip: When adding gel pen or Stickles, less is more! Small details go a long way in making your design feel polished without overwhelming the overall look.
Final Thoughts
I love how this card turned out—it’s playful and adventurous while still being easy to put together. The Treasure Hunter Kids Stamp Set and coordinating dies made it simple to create a cohesive scene, and the watercolor effect added a fun, artistic touch without a lot of fuss. If you’ve been looking for a way to incorporate watercolor into your card making, give the Zig Clean Color Real Brush Pens a try—you might be surprised at how easy they are to work with!
Thanks for stopping by today. I hope this inspires you to create your own treasure-hunting adventure on paper.
Watercolor Treasure Hunters Card Video Tutorial:
If you have problems watching the video here on my blog you can always watch it on my YouTube Channel by Clicking here!
(Wondering what I used in this video? Everything is linked to multiple sources in the thumbnails at the end of this post, or in the text below. Compensated affiliate links used when possible). As always I appreciate your support of my videos!
Materials Used:
Here you will find the list of supplies that I used to create today's card. All supplies are linked to supply sources below. Compensated affiliate links may be used at no cost to you.
Happy Stampin'
Rick Adkins
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